February 26, 2010 - Hearing about Super Mario Galaxy 2 at the last E3 was great, but watching a teaser trailer was just enough to whet our appetite. Nintendo has kept their mouths shut for a while, and only now they've finally decided to give us gamers some more details. We didn't have high expectations this year, but Nintendo's Media Summit was loaded with cool news after all!

Super Mario Galaxy 2 isn't that different from the first one. Of course, that's not a bad thing, because the first one was one of the best platforming experiences on the Wii well, one of the best GAMING experiences on the Wii - period. It runs with the Super Mario Galaxy engine, at 60 frames per second, sporting lush graphics full of details and colors, plus tons of the charming Mushroom Kingdom elements we love, be it giant goombas, warp pipes, piranha plants, coin-blocks, bricks, bo-boms, etc.

Furthermore, Mario will once again get the chance at exploring the faraway galaxies, all with different shapes, sizes, and themes. The current demo didn't include all the levels, but it did have ten locations to take a peek at. The game juggles between gravity-focused platforming, side-scrolling, etc. Some stages have you walking or floating around the surface of a planet, overcoming obstacles, stomping enemies, and collecting stars. Others have moving platforms that only come up as you activate them with a flick of the Wii Remote. You'll step on a panel, jump, switch it to the other side, and hopefully land on it. Add bombs to the formula and you've got an explosive mix! This panel-swapping mechanism is challenging, but that's what makes this game so cool. There was a similar level in the first game, so Super Mario Galaxy 2 is not necessarily reinventing the wheel. Instead, it's giving us more of the same awesome stuff.

One difference in SMG2 is the dinosaur eggs you'll find scattered throughout the levels. You can crack them open and a friendly Yoshi will come out, ready to give you a free ride. With him, you can hop around, hold the A button to hover up towards hard-to-reach areas, latch onto flowers with his tongue and swing from one to the next in order to cross a chasm, and more. That curious tongue of his will also reach out for goodies such as enemies he can swallow and spit out, Blimp Berries that turn him into a floating balloon, and even Dash Peppers - they're so hot they'll give him a speed boost and even let him climb a wall!

In addition to the partnership with Yoshi, we know Mario will have other power-ups at hand such as the drill tool. This one comes in handy for example to reach part of a planet that's blocked out. Just shake the Wii Remote to burrow through the globe, and the sky's the limit! This new addition will lead to puzzling moments that complement the classic platforming gameplay style. The drill is also useful against bosses. They might look tough, but get to their weak spot and they'll be at your feet in no time you know the drill!

As far as unlockables and extras, we don't know a whole lot yet. While Mario explores the galaxies, he'll be collecting stars and star bits. Side challenges with special missions also allow you to earn additional stars. By collecting Comet Medals during the game, you'll unlock hard levels with new challenges. Also, we're not sure about co-op functionality just yet. The first game included a secondary role for a second player (helping to collect star bits by pointing with the Wii Remote), but there's no word yet about multiplayer in Super Mario Galaxy 2, so I guess we'll have to wait and see.

What we know for sure is Super Mario Galaxy 2 will have a quality orchestral soundtrack, just like the first game did. These games always burst with imagination, quality sound effects, and delightful music, so one couldn't expect any less. According to Nintendo, the music in the demo isn't much indication of what the final game will offer. There'll be remixes of some of the music found in Super Mario Galaxy as well as other Mario games released for older platforms.

Everyone thought this game wouldn't be ready until the holidays, but boy, were we wrong! Come May 23rd, Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be sitting on store shelves, so you better start putting those extra dollars in the piggy bank! Here at CheatCC we can't wait to get our hands on the game and immerse ourselves into Mario's next fantasy adventure. With the promise of cool returning characters, new and old platforming mechanisms, stunning graphics, and an A+ soundtrack, how could anything go wrong?

By
Maria Montoro
CCC Site Director

Game Features:

Mario collects stars as he travels from galaxy to galaxy. Every level is new, but the game retains the charm, sense of wonder, and beauty in line with Mario's history. Mario works his way through the various levels, sometimes upside-down, sometimes floating from place to place.

On some stages, Mario can find an egg, smash it open and hop onto the back of Yoshi. Yoshi can use his tongue to grab items and shoot them back at enemies, or to snag attach points and swing across chasms.

Yoshi has an interesting diet. When he eats a Dash Pepper, he gets so hot and frenzied he can run up steep inclines and vertical walls. When he eats a Blimp Fruit, he inflates like a balloon and floats to new heights.

New power-ups include a drill that Mario uses to tunnel through the planet's surface all the way to the other side of a planet.

Skilled players will want to collect new Comet Metals, which will unlock harder levels with even more challenges.